Intake manifold how does it work

Featuring a series of tubes, the intake manifold ensures that the air coming into the engine is evenly distributed to all the cylinders.

This air is used during the first stroke of the combustion process. The intake manifold also helps cool down the cylinders to prevent the engine from overheating. Coolant runs through the manifold to the cylinder heads where the coolant absorbs the heat and reduces engine temperature.

Air from the outside travels past the air filter and through an ECM-assisted throttle body that controls air flow speed. Air exits the throttle body and enters the intake manifold plenum , or main body, connected to the throttle body housing. This brings us to the intake manifold gasket.

Typically made from aluminized steel coated in a carbon-based rubber compound, the intake manifold gasket seals the intake manifold to the engine. High quality intake manifold gaskets are constructed as one-piece with reinforced edges and linings around each port or runner opening.

Make Make. Model Model. Air is supplied to the manifold from the air cleaner assembly, which contains an air filter. Inlet manifolds are made from aluminium or cast iron, although some cars use plastic manifolds. If the split is small it can normally be repaired, but replacement is usually advised. Car repair. Both the length of the intake manifold channels, as well as components such as swirl or tumble flaps, affect the volumetric efficiency and, thus, the overall efficiency of a combustion engine.

How the swirl flaps on the intake manifold work Image 1: The swirl flaps are closed at low engine speeds. This causes stronger swirling and thus greater mixing in the cylinder, resulting in more efficient combustion with lower pollutant emissions.

Image 2: By contrast, the swirl flaps are open at high engine speeds to achieve a higher volumetric efficiency in the cylinder and thus higher performance. Fluctuating idle speed?

Engine jerking on acceleration? This suggests a problem with the intake manifold pressure, Motorservice Group uses cookies saved to your device in order to optimize and continuously improve its websites, as well as for statistical purposes. Further information on our use of cookies can be found here , together with our publication details and data protection notice.

You can also change your cookie settings for this website at any time. We place great importance on transparent information relating to all aspects of data protection. Our website contains detailed information on the settings you can select and what effect these settings have. You can change your selected settings at any time. Each piston compresses the charge equally as per the compression ratio.

Correct ignition timing ensures the spark is fired at a correct time to burn the charge completely. Therefore, the equal combustion chamber pressure is maintained only when the above conditions are met with. This is mainly because the intake manifold has different passage sizes, angles, contours, flow rates, and temperatures, etc. Some modern manifolds are even powder coated or chrome plated. The carburetor is centrally mounted on the intake manifold.

It carries the fresh charge from carburetor to intake valve ports. Manufacturers design the intake manifold in such a way that the air-fuel charge easily reaches the engine cylinders. The carburetor sits on the inlet manifold. However, it sits between the two cylinder banks in V engines. A well-designed manifold has the shortest and smoothest path from carburetor to cylinders. This minimizes the condensation and collection of fuel on the manifold walls.